G. Glenn

The term "special interests" is as misleading as "welfare." Everyone has a "special" "interest" from the standpoint of someone else. I wish everyone would quit wasting ink/bandwidth repeating the phrase. That said, to characterize unions that represent San Diegans as being on the same level as a wealthy developer whose primary concern is his own enrichment is disingenuous at best. The mayor isn't empowered to "give away" any funds to either group, but to grow the union-wage voter base is far from a nefarious goal, as those people tend to spend it here rather than "invest" it elsewhere. I tend to look at members of an elite strata of society who export their cash to Wall Street banks or Cayman accounts as a far more "special" interest than the rest of us can afford to keep subsidizing.

Maggie, I think you need to be more careful about your historical comparisons: "I felt that this must've been what it was like to be black after the Civil Rights Movement." You have no idea what it was like or what it is like to be of color or assume what it feels like. I think rather than use a comparison like this, you might want to examine your white privilege and perhaps use a narrative that better describes yourself in the context of your own life as a young, white woman. I think the comment is a poor choice and rather insulting in conjunction with your story. I understand the hyperbole and your frame of reference, but it is worth investigating alternatives and reading some Richard Wright, Dorothy Cotton, and bell hooks on white privilege.